Wildlife watching leads the way in USFWS national survey of outdoor activities
How big is outdoor recreation in the U.S.?
Every five years the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducts a survey to help gauge outdoor activity in the nation.
The latest data was recently released in the 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.
Last year Americans over the age of 16 took 1.7 billion trips for wildlife watching, fishing, boating, target shooting and hunting and spent an estimated $394 billion on equipment, travel, licenses, and fees.
The report was issued by the USFWS and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
“Time spent in nature is an important part of the human experience and can provide lifelong memories, connections to others, healthy activities, and a sense of rest and healing,” said Martha Williams, USFWS director in a statement. “These numbers demonstrate how important our public lands and wild places are not just for the well-being of people who enjoy them, but as an economic engine that provides thousands of jobs and sustains businesses, economies and communities throughout the nation."
The survey has been conducted periodically since 1955 and offers a snapshot of participation rates and economic impact of outdoor recreation in the U.S. The 2022 survey was conducted by the NORC at the University of Chicago.
Consistent with recent surveys, the 2022 work highlighted the popularity of wildlife watching.
The survey found 148 million U.S. residents watched wildlife in 2022 while 40 million went fishing and 14.4 million hunted.
This means that roughly 57% of Americans 16 years of age or older participated in wildlife watching, 15% fished and 6% hunted last year, according to the USFWS.
And the trips equaled a combined total of 14 billion days spent in the field, on the water and around the home viewing wildlife, an all-time high.
The economic activity of $394 billion in 2022 was the highest adjusted for inflation of any of survey dating to 1955.
The 2022 work was the first national survey to use a “push to web” approach, enabling respondents to complete the survey online. Respondents could also call in or fill out and mail in their questionnaire.
These options, combined with a new, shorter questionnaire, gave participants more choices and made the survey more convenient to complete than in prior years, according to the USFWS.
Importantly, the changes in methodology also mean that 2022 results should not be directly compared to results from any previous survey. In other changes, the 2022 survey collected data for the first time on recreational motorized boating and recreational shooting sports.
The survey found 42.2 million target shooters over the age of 16 and 40.8 million motorized boaters over the age of 16.
More than 100,000 Americans responded to the 2022 survey in households across America, according to the USFWS.
“Because of this participation, the survey continues to serve as the nation’s definitive wildlife-related recreation database and a crucial source of information on participation rates and economic impacts of outdoor activities across the nation,” Williams said.
To view results of the 2022 and previous surveys, visit fws.gov.
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2024 State Park Stickers Available Starting Nov. 24
The Department of Natural Resources 2024 state park and forest annual admission stickers and trail passes will be available for purchase starting Friday. The annual admission stickers and trail passes offer access to state-owned parks, trails, beaches and a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities.
The 2024 annual passes will be valid through Dec. 31, 2024.
Resident and nonresident annual admission stickers are available online and at individual state park and forest properties via drive-up window service, self-registration kiosks or over the phone. State trail passes are available only at individual properties or licensed vendors.
More: Outdoors calendar
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey results gauge outdoor recreation
